In order to meet the demand and connect those who need money now with those who want to donate, lots of new websites have sprouted up.

Others have thrived and solidified a name for themselves as the go-to resource for getting funded.

Why Do People Ask for Money on These Sites?

There are plenty of reasons why people rely on the kindness of cyber strangers, from venturing into a new business from scratch to altruistic reasons, such as helping to cover costs of a loved one’s medical bills.

Giving a compelling reason for why you need the funds provide more motivation for others to donate to your cause and people want to feel that real connection to helping others and fostering the human spirit. There’s an actual science behind helping others.

A number of studies showed that spending money on others actually makes us happier, including this one from NPR, which asked two groups of college students to spend money on themselves or on others. The ones who spent money on someone else said they were happier.

Also, it wasn’t about the amount of money they spent, which ranged from $5 to $20, it was how respondents chose to spend it.

Tip: Get cash sent to you via Paypal for sharing your opinion. Check out Survey Junkie which has a Trustpilot rating is 8.9/10.

What You Can Learn from Random Acts of Pizza on a Subreddit

Before asking for donations, it helps to understand why people are compelled to give. Sometimes, asking for something doesn’t always come in the form of cold hard cash.

The thread, which started in 2010, is meant to “restore faith in humanity, one pizza at a time.”

You’re not allowed to ask for money or charity on the thread, and while playful and not asking for too much (after all, it’s just pizza!), it’s gained the attention of Stanford researchers, who discovered that people were more willing to give you a pizza if the requestor:

Demonstrated a strong need

Said they would pay it forward

Were heavily involved in the Reddit community (lots of Reddit Karma points)

Sites Where You Can Get Strangers to Give You Money

Now, armed with this knowledge of why people feel motivated to give, check out the following nine sites where strangers will give you money, and a few subreddits that are worth learning about.

Launched in 2009, Kickstarter has become a household name in crowdfunding.

Some of the most memorable Kickstarter campaigns include feline-centric card game Exploding Kittens (raised over $8M), The Pebble Time Watch (raised $20M), and The Veronica Mars Movie Project raising $5.7M. My cousin, who created her own video game, also launched a Kickstarter campaign to get started, raising over $18,000.

The site is geared to products people have created.

The more information you can provide about your project, the better. Kickstarter allows you to customize your own page and add your own videos to make your idea stand out.

Remember that partial funding doesn’t count, so if your goal is $40,000 and you only raised $10,000, you won’t be able to withdraw that money. Project timelines can be anywhere from 30 to 60 days.

Also, you can’t set up projects that pertain to charity or offer any kind of equity or investment opportunities. Here’s a list of what they don’t allow.

Payments are accepted on Amazon.

2. Indiegogo

Best for: Individuals and nonprofits

Funding rules: You can still get your money even if it’s only partially funded

Cost: 5 percent fee

If you have something interesting to share with the community, Indiegogo is your site. It’s another popular site to raise money is Indiegogo, which is a few years older than Indiegogo project requirements are different than Kickstarter.

For one, they allow you to set up nonprofit projects and as long as the campaign isn’t illegal, you can post it. Their marketplace is filled with creative and innovative ideas based around tech, design and more. The products posted on Indiegogo may inspire people to buy since it’s not on the mainstream market yet.

If you’re not able to stick to your shipping schedule, Indiegogo refunds the purchase to buyers.

3. Fundly

Best for: Anyone

Funding rules: You can still get your money even if it’s only partially funded

Cost: Free to create and share your campaign, but they take a 4.9 percent fee from each donation, plus a credit card processing fee of 3 percent

Similar to Indiegogo, Fundly is flexible with the types of campaigns you want to create. The site, which has helped people raise over $330 million, doesn’t have any restrictions around “raise requirements” and doesn’t have start up fees either.

When you land on their homepage and before you start your campaign, they ask you to choose whether you are an individual or nonprofit. If you are an individual you can log in using your Facebook account.

If you want to see how others are using the site and what kinds of campaigns are successful, can filter categories to show everything from the most popular projects to memorials and trips.

Fundly encourages you to provide updates to your supporters and send emails and post blog-like updates made easily through their app (40 percent of users are on mobile).

Fundly is great because it’s more focused on creating easy ways to connect with people who donate to your project. Partial funding is also allowed and payments are processed within 24-48 hours of the donation.

4. Crowdfunder

Best for: Small businesses that need capital

Funding rules: You need a term sheet and pitch deck

Cost: It’s subscription-based that starts at $299 a month

Do you have a business you’re building and need to raise capital? This is exactly what Crowdfunder helps you do, however, your business idea needs to be fully planned with all of the necessary documents, such as a business plan.

Crowdfunder connects you to investors who are going to want to fully understand how your business is going to yield them a return that’s worth it for them. Think: SharkTank and the questions the sharks often ask the contestants.

In order to get started, you need a term sheet and pitch deck.

The site has helped startups raise over $150M and fundraising fees start at $299 a month, with their premium package costing $499 a month.

5. GoFundMe

Best for: Individuals

Funding rules: You can still get your money even if it’s only partially funded

Cost: A 2.9 percent processing fee and 30 cents per donation

Probably best-known for its funding capacity for medical and hospital bills, GoFundMe can help you raise money for just about any fundraising campaign and there are no deadlines or goal requirements.

You’ll have to state your case and explain why you need others to provide financial donations to you.

GoFundMe is mobile-friendly and is easy to share on social media. Like Crowdfunder, GoFundMe encourages you to give donors consistent updates on your progress, outside of just raising the money.

Collectively, users on GoFundMe have raised over $5 billion.

There is a standard processing fee of 2.9 percent and 30 cents per donation fee. You can withdraw your money at any time. If you’re interested in using GoFundMe, read through their FAQ page, which I found to be pretty handy.

6. Begging Money

Best for: Individuals who have financial problems

Funding rules: None

Cost: Standard PayPal fees for each transaction

Begging Money is a straightforward site that works a little differently than Kickstarter or Indiegogo in that it doesn’t charge any fees from the donations you receive.

You receive the funds through PayPal and in the sign-up prices, you need to create a PayPal.me link to protect yourself from scammers. You need to write at least 400 words explaining why you are asking for money and then select the appropriate category for your request.

If you want to increase visibility of your request letter, you can upgrade and pay for this option, but just know that there are no refunds if you upgrade.

7. BoostUp

Best for: Individuals who have long-term financial goals, such as buying a home or car

Funding rules: None

Cost: Free, but you have to connect your bank accounts to the platform

BoostUp is a blend of donations and a savings account, as they help you with your long-term goals too. You need to have a savings account in order to start a project with BoostUp.

Friends and family can donate to your fund, along with various brand partners the company works with. For example, for a limited time, they offered a $500 boost towards the purchase of a new car.

8. FundMyTravel

Best for: Individuals who need money to travel

Funding rules: None

Cost: Free

FundMyTravel was specifically geared to help those who want need funds to travel the world. The site was started to help those in need of money for travel-focused campaigns.

Based on what was posted from the community on their homepage, most travel-related funds that were fulfilled had to do with volunteering for altruistic causes in poor African countries, or continuing one’s education in a foreign country with helping others as the end goal, once that person graduates.

If your cause falls within these parameters, FundMyTravel might be a solid option for you to post your campaign. All you need to do is create your campaign, share it through social media and email, and then get funded.

9. CyberBeg

CyberBeg is a site that provides help for people who are “financially unfortunate.” When you land on the site, it almost looks like it might be a scam just from the noticeably outdated design.

However, what they lack in design, they make up for in no fees being taken out of your transaction when someone donates to your cause. The only fees are taken from your PayPal transaction.

CyberBeg notes on their FAQ page that the PayPal transaction is not necessarily anonymous because PayPal displays either your name or email address on the page. It tells you how you can change your settings on PayPal to avoid this problem.

Unlike the other sites mentioned in this list, CyberBeg offers ways for people to make some extra money and provides resources (like credit repair) targeted to the people who use the site and need extra cash.

When you click on the credit repair, writing or survey links, however, it directs you to a few scammy-looking sites. So, it’s probably best to avoid those and just stick to posting your request for others to help you.

You can keep your post on the site for three months.

Subreddits That Are All About Paying It Forward

If you’re open to receiving donations outside of money, some subreddits focus on giving back to the Reddit community. There are threads where the community donates pizza, video games and giving through Amazon.

If you’re coming into Reddit as a new member, take some time to browse around and engage with others. Leave comments and feedback for others if you can, and gain Reddit points. You can receive karma points when your links and comments are upvoted. Conversely, you can lose points when your links and comments are downvoted to a number lower than zero.

The best way to gain karma points is just to find a subreddit that interests you. This way it’s a fun and effortless experience to post and comment.

As with any of the subreddit threads, there are specific rules you need to follow. These are clearly posted on the page with moderators who will enforce them.

Random Acts of Kindness

While you can’t ask for money in any form (including gift cards), Random Acts of Kindness is an awesome subreddit that offers a community that is ready to give and help.

Some acts of kindness include giving away access and log-in codes for video games or a girlfriend asking local Redditors to come out and wish her long-distance boyfriend a happy birthday because he’s alone in a foreign country.

You need a minimum of 300 comment karma, in order to post a request.

These are more subreddits worthy of a visit, but again, you can’t ask people for money.

Random Acts of Amazon: You connect with a community and share what kinds of things you have on our Amazon wishlist. People buy Amazon gifts for each other on the site.

Random Acts of Pizza: State your case for why you need a pie delivered to your door and you just might get it!

Which site most resonates with you?

Whether you have a new idea that needs to be funded or need some extra help with plans to travel to Africa for your summer internship program, remember the rules are the same when asking strangers for money.

Always state the why and be as descriptive as possible about your situation.

Honestly, I am not familiar with any from Africa. You could try doing an internet search. I did come up with some sites that might offer surveys you can do for money. Just be cautious so you don’t get scammed.

Well, you can try some of the suggestions in the post. You might also be able to house sit for someone in or near the destinations you had in mind. Or, try some of the tips on our site in our post about alternatives to hotels to get reduced lodging when you travel.

First thank you for this article. It’s very useful, and informative, too.

I’ve a deadline for next week to come up with £5,000. I’ve been given the opportunity to speak at an event in London and to be an exhibitor, too. This will help my business and sell my book. I just don’t know where to go to raise the money. Do you have any suggestions, please? I’ve still got until the 10th of November and the show is on 14 – 15th of November. The 15th is my birthday, and I’m speaking on that day.

I’m from South Africa with a PayPal account, but the sites aren’t working for me. I’m trying to raise money to study my second year. I’m very depressed because I’m running out of time. I was grown up to never ask, beg, borrow, or steal, but I can’t seem to get a job so it’s embarrassing. I’ve got to try somewhere.

We have some other posts on our site that might help you about free online jobs and online side jobs. You could also check out our post about online companies that pay instantly. I don’t know if they will work in your country, but you can always check it out to see if they will work for you. I wish you luck.

Which of these do you recommend for my situation: we had an apartment fire but had no renters insurance. I’ve posted in Facebook and the response was amazing. However, we need a little more help to get back on our feet. My mother and I got out ok. I got out with pants, shoes, and a jacket. Other than that, we lost everything. I’m not the type of person that likes asking for help. Red cross helped us with essentials, but that’s about it for now. The picture above is taken from the opposite side of our apartment. The fire started directly above ours. I got my mom out right away, since she’s on oxygen, and went back in for our coats and to turn off her oxygen so it didn’t blow. My mom is 64, retired, and on oxygen. I’m already working 6 days a week to make enough for us to get by. I hate asking for help, but if everyone that sees this can share it and help, it’d be greatly appreciated. God bless and thank you guys.

I suggest you trying some of the links we listed in this post. You could also try to get help from local churches, the salvation army, and other local charities in your area. Another avenue is to apply for assistance through the government at one of these sites: https://www.benefits.gov/ and also: https://www.usa.gov/benefits. I hope they can help you get back on your feet.

I was recently robbed of $7,500 USD on my way to the bank. This has, and will, change my life forever. I was born with dwarfism and many birth defects.
I have nowhere else to turn because I can never earn this money back, especially in the days they want it, or they will believe I was in on the crime.
Sometimes I feel like ending it all would be easier…

I would do anything I can to help those who have helped me double…
God Bless us all…

That’s terrible! I’m so sorry that happened to you! I hope the criminals are eventually captured and brought to justice. You could certainly try some of the options in this post. In addition, there are a few other posts on our site that may have some ideas you can use. Some are about how to make money fast and we also have one on how to get a personal loan. I wish you luck in raising the money you need in time.

If you’re in the US I wonder if you might be eligible for Assistance For Victims of Violent Crimes which includes the following crimes: theft, aggravated assault, rape and other personal violations. If whoever it is thinks that you might have been in on the theft, it might be best to retain an attorney. In the US there are a lot of free legal aid clinics. If you’re not in the US, there might be free legal aid clinics in your country to represent you and keep your best interest at heart. Even though you’re innocent, IMO, it’s best to cover yourself as much as possible. If you’re not in the US, maybe your country has something similar to assist victims of violent crimes. I wish better days for you.

Hello my name Sharnee. I’m just coming out of an abusive relationship. I have 3 kids and don’t know what to do right now. I really need help financially if you can kindly help me and my babies. It’s the holiday and I don’t have anything. Thank you.

I’m sorry to hear that and I hope some of these sites can help you out. Other places to go include local charities in your area, churches, and the salvation army. You could also try applying for assistance with the state government where you live.

You have come to the right place! Try out some of the ideas in this post. Others you might look at on our site include making money with your smartphone, making money from home, and making money as a beginning blogger. We have lots of posts about ways to make money. Maybe one or two of them will work for you. Good luck!

From your comment I am not sure if your school needs the financial help or if you do. If it is you, we have posts about teachers who have gotten themselves out of considerable debt. Check them out. I wish you luck!

If you are thinking of starting your own business, check out the posts on our site that might help. We have one about what to do before you start a business as well as home bases business ideas. There are lots of others about making money from home as well. I wish you luck!

I have stage 4 inflammatory breast cancer. I was diagnosed in June of 2016. I shouldn’t be alive now, statistically. I have been out of work since June of this year. My credit card bills are stacking up. My husband drives a tow truck and works on commission. He has to take time off work, without pay, to get me to doctors appointments. We have to sell our house because we can’t live in our area anymore. I had a left breast mastectomy on November 16th and will have to come up with the funds for a prosthetic, and the bra for it, which are expensive. I lose my health insurance on January 1st. I seriously need to get out of debt and come up with money to fix up our house so we can get a good price for it. We are going to try to find a home in Florida where I can get support from my family and hopefully have enough money to purchase a home in full (with no mortgage or we’ll just get into debt again). It’s expensive to eat extra healthy while fighting cancer. Do you have any ideas where to get help? We have a GoFundMe, but we’re not having much luck with it. Could you help me with the right site please?

It sounds like you are having a pretty rough time of it. But it also sounds like you are a fighter! That being said, why limit yourself to just the one GoFundMe? You might try more than one way of attacking your money problems at the same time.

1. If you haven’t already, cut your household budget as much as you can. We have tons of posts that can help you, including one about a free budgeting tool.

2. Try some side hustles to make extra money. We have several posts about side hustles you could try.

3. Use our post, “9 Sites Where You Can Get Strangers to Give You Money”, to request money from total strangers.

I wish you a fast healing process and much luck in cleaning up your finances!

Have you applied for SDI- State Disability Insurance? If not, you need to apply for that ASAP. I would also strongly suggest that you start the process to apply for permanent SSD – Social Security Disability. Depending on the reviewer, and what your diagnosis and prognosis is, this can either be a short process, or it can drag out for 2 years or more, but it’s worth the fight. If you are deemed eligible for Social Security Disability, you will automatically be covered by Medicare insurance. I would also strongly suggest that you apply for Medicaid insurance and food stamps. Neither one of these are handouts, as your tax dollars are your investment in getting these benefits that are rightly yours.

We have some posts on our site about how to get free gift cards, frugal gifts, and the best toys. Check them out for some ideas you may not have thought of. I hope at least one idea in one of these posts helps you out. Good luck and have a great Christmas!

Sir,
I want to open a 100 beds multi-specialty hospital for poor patients with very nominal charges. We have land and all the specialist doctors.
Now I have no money so I want some one to give me financing for my dream hospital project – as a partner or another arrangement.

I am sorry to hear that you are having a rough time in your life. This site might help you. In addition, we have many other posts you can use to make money. I hope at least one of them helps you turn things around. I wish you the best of luck!

I’m 68 years old, unmarried, and living alone as I have no one to support me financially. My parents, brothers, and sister are all expired. I’m living alone. Please help me financially. Thank you so much.

I worked outside my country for 8 years and returned to start a business that
failed after 5 years due to calamities of nature. I’m now working in a BPO company and need to send my younger son to college to study nursing, which I can not afford. I need financial help please.

Try some of the ways in this post. You could also try some of our other posts on this site about making money in college, planning for college, and thrifting to pay for college. I wish your brother success in his studies and also you in finding ways to help him afford it.

Hopefully this post will help you, then. Also, we have lots of post about many different ways you can make extra money to pay off debt. Check some of them out to help you pay it off. I hope you get out from under it soon.

In addition to the help you might be able to receive from the links and sources in this post, here are some other avenues you might check out foe help. Try the salvation army, domestic violence, and the social security office. If you are a crime victim, as it sounds like you might be, you could get help through crime victims in your state. There should also be free legal aid in your state that might help you as well if you want to prosecute. The professionals in these programs can help you get assistance to get back on your feet again. Don’t give up. You can rebuild your life and make it better than ever!

Try some of the ways in this post. I hope at least one will help you out! We also have many ways on this website for you to make money. Check out some of them to find ideas that might help you. I wish you luck.

I lost my job last month and have been desperately trying to get it back or get a new one. Neither have happened so far. Bills are piling up and I am VERY scared. I don’t know what to do next. Help, please.

I have been working every day and still barely getting by. My gas got shut off, I’m late on my rent and about to be kicked out on the street with my woman. I have two teenage children that are depending on me to take care of them this summer and I don’t know what I’m gonna do. I’m being reunited with them after bout 12 yrs. If someone could help us, please, I’d be grateful for a little help. My kids have been through a lot.

This post should help you out. We have others that might help as well, such as how to start side hustling so you can make more, jobs for stay at home mom’s, and how teens can earn money. Check some of them out to see if you can change your situation for the better. I hope some of them help!

It’s so hard for me to do this, but I can’t think of anything else I could possibly do. I work a full time job that pays me around $400 a month. I live with my mother who will turn 60 in December and she’s still waking up at 4 a.m. to go clean a restaurant, for $115 a month, 6 days a week, twice a day. We’re doing everything we can to clear the credit. We’ve got to have central heating in the apartment. Some of you may laugh at the amount we need, but for us it’s a lot – $2600. She lost her second job last month and we’re pretty much struggling to make ends meet. I haven’t been able to sleep normally for the past couple of months because I’m afraid of what may happen tomorrow or the next day. Will we be able to pay the bills on time, not even mentioning buying something little for ourselves?

We’ve been struggling since I can remember, honestly. We live in a small town in Bulgaria where things aren’t good. When I was 14 I got my first scholarship in high school – $10, 3 times a month for good grades. I never relied on my parents for money because they didn’t have much. I picked fruits – not for fun, but to pay the electricity bills.

I never wanted to be rich, I just want to have a good night sleep with no anxiety, no depression, and no lump in my throat that makes me cry every time I think about this debt. I’ve been looking for a second job since last January – a distant job, a job without a contract, translating stuff, whatever it is, just to be able to get a little bit ahead. I’ve gone to interviews and sent CV’s to dozens of job ads, but I still haven’t found anyone who wants to hire someone who’s already working 8, 9, and 10 hour shifts that change from early to late shift every couple of days.

I’m desperate. Next month is my birthday. I don’t wish for anything anymore, I just don’t want my mother or me to feel worthless. I can only hope that there are some good people out there who are willing to help us get back on our feet. I’ve always tried to help people however I can and I’ve always believed in good Karma, etc. So far, it hasn’t come back to me. If there is anyone willing to help us, your help will be greatly appreciated!

Thank you for reading just a part of my story! If you can help me find a way to help my situation, please do so!

I am sorry you are having such a hard time. Maybe this post will help you out. You might also see if you can get some social assistance from your government. I don’t know if you’d qualify, but it doesn’t hurt to check into it.
You could try some online jobs to make extra money also. We have several posts about side jobs on this site. Good luck and I hope your situation improves.

Hello
I’m writing from Serbia. Seven years ago, I started a job with agriculture. The main activity was the cultivation of raspberries. In order to diversify production and reduce risk, I also have side activities in the form of growing vegetables and bees. Three years ago, my farm was in trouble. The company I worked with simply refused to pay for the goods they took (about 80% of my production for that year). I started the trial against them, but it is extremely expensive and slow in Serbia. These problems have not stopped. A year after that I was hit by drought. Last year, unfair competition backed by the state has brought down the price to the level that it’s unprofitable (about 35 cents per kilogram of raspberries). All of this demanded additional investments in the farm in the form of irrigation systems, machinery for machine raspberry harvesting, and redirection of a part of the estate on strawberries and currants. I had to finance this for myself in the form of commercial loans. To succeed in paying the debts to the bank, I sought employment and found it in Germany (I’m a chemical engineer by profession). However, Serbia is not in the European Union. In order to obtain all necessary permits for work in Neka, it takes at least 6 months of time. Can you tell me where I can find help for debt servicing until my departure to Germany?

You could try some of the ideas and links in this post. Beyond that, I am not sure where to direct you, to be honest, since you live in a whole other country. I do wish you luck in getting everything resolved, paid off, and running profitably again.

My situation is dire. I was removed from my home with only 15 mins to grab what I could. I paid my rent (cash $799.00) for March to my caretaker who lived above me. We shared a house, and he said he’d bring my receipt down later. This was normal for him to say – either later that day or the next morning I’d get my receipt. But he didn’t have a chance to bring it to me the next morning before I was awakened by someone trying to break into my suite. I called police. EPS showed up and I opened my door. Apparently, my caretaker did a midnight move as he knew his time was running out. He got evicted for not paying the rent. The owner of the house got a court order to remove “All Residing Occupants”. The EPS and bailiff felt bad for me, but had to do their job. I had all the proof of my residency there. The EPS told me it’s a civil matter, and they cannot help me, but to check with the tenant board. To file a claim is $100 that I don’t have. I have a lawyer appointment this Thursday set up by the tenant board. Meanwhile, Alberta Works Crisis has paid for a couple nights for a motel and gave me a $23 food voucher. This is my last paid night here. I also have my cat with me. I have nowhere to go, no family, and no sense of direction. My funds are gone and my food is depleted. Please help me financially with this motel room cost and food. I don’t want to be put out onto the streets. I paid for a roof over my head and don’t feel that I should be punished by forcing me live on the street. It’s not fair. I’ve done nothing wrong and yet here I am. Please help anyway you can. My belongings have been thrown in a garage and I have until March 26 to remove my stuff or it will be put out for garbage. I have no means to move it or let alone a place to move it to! I don’t want to give up my cat either, as she did nothing wrong. I was told by Social Services,’Go back to the street and give up your cat.’ I’m so angry, depressed, and overwhelmed by all of this. I have never heard of a caretaker splitting on the tenant.

I’m sorry you are having a hard time. Have you checked to see if you can at least stay in a shelter until you get back on your feet? Another idea is to check with your employer, if you are employed, to see if they have any ideas for a place to stay. Many are willing to help to avoid losing a good employee. You could also try the church you go to, if you attend. Some can help with these types of situations. Of course, you can also try to get help through the links in this post.

I’ve got a big problem.I’m in a sorry state. My mother died when I was only 10 years and left me with my grandmother who was, and is, also homeless. We lived a life of moving without parking. I don’t have any skills to use in order to earn a living – not even a piece of land to cultivate. But anyway, that was God’s plan. I’m requesting any kind person’s help for my poor grandmother, and also to get at least a place to reside for I am still young. I will use my energy to survive but try to have a look in my state and help this 79 year old woman. Thanks.

Hopefully this post can help you out. But even if you think you have no skills, there might be jobs you can still do. Check out some of our posts on side hustles or making money from home. You might get some ideas on how to make money and change your situation.

I am an aspiring business owner. I hope to one day open the “Mic Check Poetry Lounge.” It’s a start up, of course, and I have absolutely no funding. Do you have any suggestions of where to look for funding in the south suburbs of Chicago?

You could try to get a small business loan through a local bank or try some of the ideas in this post. In addition, we have lots of posts on this site about starting a business that might help you. Another idea is to start your own side hustle first to save up money for your start up. We have several posts about side jobs and side hustles that can help you make money to get started. Good luck!